


Business Partners

by knittingknerdy



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Buisiness partners, F/M, Fake Dating, fake dating au, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 04:09:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11638611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knittingknerdy/pseuds/knittingknerdy
Summary: Your business partner invites himself to your sister’s wedding.  This is my submission for @bionic-buckyb 5000 follower celebration!!!!  I claimed the fake dating AU.





	1. Chapter !

You sigh before pushing open the door to your office.  If you could call it an office.  You were the assistant to Steve Rogers, one half of the Stark Rogers technology corporation.  Tony Stark oversaw the research and development, while Steve Rogers took those creations and implemented their use.  They were a great team up until a few months ago.

 

Steve was on an extended leave of absence.  Steve’s friend, James Barnes, was sick.  Very sick.  And they were both in Wakanda while James was being treated.  You smiled remembering Steve’s face during your last video conference.  He had said that Bucky (an adorable nickname for Barnes) seemed to finally be responding to the treatment.  The look on Steve’s face was the happiest you’d seen him in months.  Even before they left.  

 

So Steve’s office sat empty unless you needed something out of it, but you still continued to work from your desk outside of his office.  It felt a bit strange, like holding vigil, but you had stayed even when they offered you a different office.  Before you could sit at the desk, your phone rang.  The caller being the main reason for choosing not to leave.  

 

“Thank you for calling Stark Rogers Technology, Mr. Roger’s office.  How may I help you?”  The greeting was automatic at this point, coming out in a rush.  

 

“You know it’s me calling and yet every morning you answer like that.”  

 

“I like to remind you I actually work here.  I’m not just here to listen to you babble about your latest horrific dating story.”  

 

“Ok, but you laughed so hard you cried at the last one.  You can’t enjoy the stories and then insist you don’t want to hear them.”  He paused.  “Why are you answering the phone anyway?  Where is your assistant?”

 

“I am the assistant, I don’t need an assistant.  I’m perfectly capable of answering the phone.  And, well, she isn’t here yet.”  

 

“Hmmm, that’s odd.  Barton recommended her and Coulson agreed.  Maybe I’ll have to talk with them.”  

 

His musing was interrupted by Natasha bursting through the door.  “I’m so sorry I’m late.  Mr. Stark texted me to deliver his coffee and the line was awful and then my card wouldn’t work on the door.  It won’t happen again.”  

 

You smiled at her before answering Tony.  “Mr. Stark, you can’t complain that my assistant is late when she was in your office with your coffee.  Which I know you don’t need because I rode up on the elevator with your assistant who had your order.  And quit messing with her passcard access.  Some of us have bosses who expect us to get work done.”  You hung up the phone when all you could hear was his laughing on the other end.  “I’m sorry about that Natasha.  I can’t promise he’ll stop, but it’s honestly good natured.  I can have someone from HR stop by if you’d like to talk to them.”  

 

She looked genuinely shocked. “Um, no, thank you.  I’ve honestly had to put up with a lot worse in this line of work.  And they weren’t joking.”  She smiled finally.  “But thank you.”  

 

“Great, because as much as it was a genuine offer, it was not something I wanted to deal with today.”  You groaned and ran your hand through your hair.  It was barely 8 am and it was already becoming unruly.  “Speaking of which, do you have those patent files for me?  I need to send the specs and my recommendations to Mr. Rogers.”  You looked at your watch. “In an hour.  This time difference is the worst.”  

 

“Yes, right here.  Oh!  And I brought you coffee too.  It’s just black.  I didn’t know what you would want yet.  But I can grab you something else.”  

 

You paused halfway around the desk after grabbing the files.  It felt strange to have someone bring you coffee.  You had never really had to do that for Steve, he made his own special blend of tea since he was a bit of a health nut.  To suddenly be in that position made everything feel a bit overwhelming.  

 

“Is everything ok?” Natasha asked cautiously.  

 

“Yes, sorry.  It’s all a bit surreal.  Black is fine.  I normally take it with two sugars, which I have in my desk.  And don’t feel like you need to get me coffee unless you are getting some for yourself.  And turn in the receipts.  It would be a work expense.”

 

Natasha smiled and flashed a small black card. “Coulson gave me one of these.  Told me it was for expenses like that.”  

 

“Of course he did.  And make sure to buy yours with that too.  Hopefully it will make up for dealing with Mr. Stark.”  

 

Natasha smiled before settling at her desk.  

 

__

 

You worked straight through the next hour.  Pushing send on your email to Steve before your calendar notified you of your next meeting.  You gathered up a pile of folders and headed to Tony’s office.  

 

You offered a small smile to Clint Barton as you opened the door and walked inside Tony’s office.  You paused for a moment before opening the door and looking back out at Clint.  “Where is Mr. Stark?”

 

“He isn’t in.”  

 

“Like he has a meeting or he’s gone off somewhere?” you asked, already knowing the answer.

 

“The second one,” Clint answered.  

 

“I’ll wait.”

 

“I have no idea how long he’ll be.”  

 

You hold up your files.  “I brought reading material.  I can wait.”  

 

You make yourself comfortable, but you don’t make it very far in your files before your phone rings.  You look at the screen, hoping it’s Tony, but it’s actually your sister.  

 

“Hey, what’s up?” you answer.  

 

“Are you sitting down?”  

 

“I am.  Did you finally decide to elope?” 

 

“Um, no.  Scott finally decided on a best man.”

 

You feel your heart sink.  “Oh?”

 

“It turns out Sam is going to be able to make it after all.”  The line goes quiet for a few seconds.  “Are you ok?”  

 

You take a deep breath.  “Of course!”  You try to fake the cheer in your voice.  “It’s been years.”  

 

You hear your sister breathe a sigh of relief.  “Oh thank goodness.  I was so worried.  I promise I’ll make this up to you.  You are the best.”  

 

You force yourself to smile through her platitudes and the promise of a great time at her wedding.  When you hang up, you groan and lay your head down on Tony’s desk.  

 

You didn’t notice the door opening.  “Meeting with me isn’t that bad.”  

 

You sit up suddenly.  “Oh, Mr. Stark.  I didn’t hear you come in.”

 

“Everything ok?”

 

“My sister is getting married.”  

 

“Now, I’m an only child, but I was lead to believe this sort of thing was a happy occasion.”  Tony casually leans on the front of his desk.  

 

“It is.”

 

“Is the guy awful?  I’m rich enough.  I’m sure I could have him killed.”

 

“What? No! Scott is amazing.  It’s his best man.”  

 

“Did he break your heart?”

 

You looked surprised.  “Actually, yes.”  

 

It was Tony’s turn to look surprised.  “Really?  You don’t seem like the type.  Your escapades are almost as legendary as mine.”  

 

You scowl at Tony.  “A. That’s not true.  B.  He’s the reason why.”  You sigh.  “I will have to spend the whole wedding weekend trying to convince everyone I’m happy with my life.  Which I am.  And that I’m over Sam.  Which I also am.”

 

The two of you fall silent as you finish your rant.  You shuffle the files on your lap and pull out the one you need to discuss.

 

“Anyway,” you start.

 

“Take me with you.”  Tony interrupts. 

 

“What?”

 

“To the wedding.  They’ll be so distracted by me, they won’t notice you.”  

 

“Well, first we need to do something about that ego of yours.  And no, that isn’t happening.  I can’t just show up to my sister’s wedding with my boss in tow.”  

 

“I’m not technically your boss.”  

 

“Of course you aren’t.  Which is why I call you Mr. Stark,” you snap back.

 

He leans down closer to you. “No, you call me Mr. Stark because I like hearing you call me Mr. Stark.”  He bites his lower lip before smirking at you.  “It makes me all tingly.”  

 

You glare at him in return.  “I will call HR.”  

 

“Fine!“ Tony throws up his arms and moves around his desk to sit.  “What did you need to talk to me about?”

 

“I have the files you sent.  I’m returning them with the notes Mr. Rogers and I made.”

 

“So this was a meeting that could have been an email.”  

 

“Also,” you draw the word out,  “We have a video conference with Mr. Rogers on Thursday.  He has made it very clear you need to be there.  No excuses.  No running off.  Please.”  

 

“Of course.  I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”  Tony smiles suspiciously.  “Now, out!  Don’t you have work to do.”  

 

You roll your eyes as he shoos you out of his office.  

 

\--

 

The conference call was set for 9 pm on Thursday.  Clint was supposed to call you if Tony tried to leave the building.  And you felt bad about keeping him so late to baby sit his boss.  So far it had been silent, but you didn’t put it past Tony to sneak out.  Not that he made it a point to miss these meetings.  But it was rare Steve asked for the two of you to be there.  And Tony tends to be focused on his research and gets a bit distracted.  Lots of things distract him.  

 

Which is why you were floored when he was in the conference room before you.

 

“You’re here,” you say with surprise.  “Not just here, you’re early.”

 

“You said this was important.”  

 

“This is literally the first time you have listened to me when I’ve told you that.”

 

“First time for everything.”  Tony smirks at you as the conference line begins to ring.  

 

You press the button to connect and smile when you see Steve on the screen.  “Hello, Mr. Rogers.”  

 

“Hi.  Thank you both for taking this call.  I have a few things to cover, so I thought we would get straight to it.”  Steve starts.  

 

You nod and look at Tony.  He is sitting there smiling at you like he just got away with something.  You squint at him suspiciously but turn back to Steve.  

 

“So, Bucky is doing great.  The doctors are thrilled with his progress.  But they can’t guarantee that he won’t need more treatment in the future.  Also, we love Wakanda.  We’ve made a home here.  So we’ve decided to stay.  Permanently.”  

 

You try to school your face into something neutral.  While you’ve managed the past few months, it has been difficult.  Just getting an approval required nearly a full day of waiting.  

 

Steve continues with a soft smile.  “Which is why I’ve decided to retire and promote you to COO, Y/N.”  

 

There was no chance to keep your face neutral with that announcement.  

 

“What?”  

 

“It’s too difficult to keep this up.  You’ve pretty much been running my division for months now.”

 

“But you make the final approvals,” you interject.

 

“Completely following your recommendations.  I’ve agreed with all of your decisions.  I know I can trust you with this.”  

 

You finally turn to Tony, thinking to see your shock mirrored on his face.  What you see is just an even bigger smile than the one he sported earlier.  He knew.  He knew what this meeting was about.  The bastard.  

 

It finally sinks in that the both of them are waiting for an answer from  you.  “Can I have time to decide?”

 

“Of course.  It’s a big decision to make on the spot.  I’d be a little disappointed if you said yes immediately.”  Steve said.

 

“I wouldn’t.”

 

“Tony,” Steve chastised.  “I’ll let the two of you get home.  Thank you for meeting with me.”  

 

When the video call ended, you sat there trying to process what had just happened.  Steve was right.  He had agreed with all of your recommendations and suggestions.  It had started with just a few reports, but after a while, he wanted your input on everything before you sent it to him.  

 

Tony spoke quietly, shaking you from your stupor.  “Why don’t you take tomorrow off?  Think about your decision.”  You nodded.  “If it helps any, I fully support this idea.”

 

You’re still a bit bewildered as the two of you leave the conference room.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home

It actually doesn’t take you long to come to a decision.  Once you’re over the shock, you’re excited by the prospect.  And after you inform Tony and Steve of your decision, it doesn’t take long for the transition to happen.  

 

A few weeks later, you’ve settled into Steve’s office.  Your office.  It’s still doesn’t feel quite right. You decide to tackle your restlessness by going through the pile of memos on your desk.  Most don’t need much attention.  A few require an email.  But it doesn’t take you long to make it through the list until you reach the last one.  

 

It’s a notice from your competitor, Hydra Corp.  They are releasing a brand new flat screen monitor two days before your launch.  Stark Rogers had sunk a ton of money into the research and development.  And just as much into the marketing.   If Hydra released their, from what you could tell, very similar model days before yours, the company could stand to lose a lot of money.  

 

“You look like someone’s been murdered.” Natasha’s voice from your doorway snaps you out of your panic spiral.  

 

“Fuck, no.”  You toss the notice to the edge of your desk and she strides forward to pick it up. “Hydra is about to scoop us on our newest release.  This is not good.”  You brace your head on your hands. “I need to tell Tony.  How did we not hear about this?”

 

“I’m sure it will be fine.” Natasha tries to console you.

 

“Right,” you sigh, “I’ll be in Tony’s office.  Even if you hear things breaking, I’m sure it will be ok.”  

 

When you peek your head into Tony’s office, he looks surprisingly calm even though he’s reading the same notice you just read.  

 

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” You collapse into a chair.  

 

“Because there is no sense in it.  If they release first, they release first.  We’ll deal with it.” 

 

“You’re too calm about this.” 

 

“This isn’t the first time they’ve done it.  Plus, I already have something new cooking.  We’ll get them next time.”  

 

“What are you working on?” you ask with a smile.

 

“Nope.  My lips are sealed until I get the kinks worked out.”  

 

“You’re no fun.”  

 

Natasha’s knock from the doorway pulls both of your attention.  “I’m sorry to interrupt.  Ma’am, your mother is on line 1.  She says it is rather urgent.  Also, I have this information for you about the Hydra launch.  I thought you would want to see it right away.”  She sets a folder down on the desk and leaves.  

 

“Ugh, I’m sorry Tony.  Mind if I take this call?”

 

“No, you can answer it in here.”

 

You smile your thanks and pick up the phone, pressing the flashing button to answer the call.  

 

“Hi mom.”

 

“Sweetheart, Sam’s going to be there.”

 

“I’m aware.  Sis told me weeks ago.  Why is this urgent?”

 

“He’s bringing someone.  I don’t know how your sister could agree to have him in her wedding.  But then to let him bring someone.”

 

“Oh.”  You know this news shouldn’t affect you, but it puts a knot in the pit of your stomach.  “It’s fine,” you lie.  

 

“And here you are not even bringing a plus one.” 

 

This was really the part you were dreading.  If Sam was there alone, it wouldn’t have been that bad.  But you, by yourself, and him with someone was going to make sure everyone looked at you with pity all weekend.  

 

“I don’t need a plus one,” you insisted.  Before she could answer, you heard a beep and suddenly Tony was speaking.  

 

“You know I did offer to come.”  He smiled that stupid, disarming smile at you.

 

“Hello?” your mom asked.   
  


“Mom, that’s Tony Stark.  Mr. Stark, my mother.”

 

“Oh, Mr. Stark we would be delighted to have you.  She’s spoken so highly of you since she started working there.  We’d love to meet you.”  

 

“Consider it a date then.  And please, call me Tony.”  

 

“Of course, Tony.  Delightful.  Bye dear.”  And she hung up.  

 

You stared in horror at the phone before gently lowering it to the cradle.  “You can’t just invite yourself to my sister’s wedding.” You had been angry at Tony before, but this was bordering on homicidal rage.  

 

“Listen, I know you’re going to need something to distract you all weekend.” He held up his hand to stop you from interrupting. “You say you’re over the guy.  I believe you.  But I’ve been on the receiving end of those looks from people who aren’t quite convinced.  There were a lot of them when Pepper left. Hell, if all else fails, we’ll talk work all weekend.  I’ll bring the good alcohol.” His eyes brightened.  “We can take the private jet.”  

 

As soon as you realized he got it, your resolve crumbled.  “Fine.  But we have to leave right after the launch.  And I hope you don’t get bored.  I have maid of honor duties all weekend.”

 

“How could I get bored?  I’m going to convince your mother to show me all of your baby pictures.”  

 

You focused on him with a glare as you picked up the folder Natasha had brought, only dropping it to skim the first few pages.  

 

“Oh my God,” you exclaim.  You can’t prevent the smile from growing on your face as you toss the folder towards Tony.  “Somehow Natasha got us the specs of the Hydra release.  They based their model on one of your old prototypes.  You know, the one that caught fire after it was on for four hours.”  

 

“What?! Holy shit, they did.  And they didn’t even fix it.  This is spectacular.” He paused for a moment. “Although how did they get my prototype?  And how did Natasha get this?” He gestured to the folder.  

 

“I’ll ask, but she’s my assistant.  You can’t have her.  I can see you scheming.”  

 

\-----------------------------------------

  
  


It turns out Natasha was amazing.  And scary.  Not only did she get you the specs, but she managed to get the name of the mole in your company.  You didn’t ask too many questions, but you did give her a spectacular bonus.  That sort of loyalty was to be encouraged and kept on your side.  

 

Hydra’s launch was a spectacular failure.  Whereas, the Rogers Stark launch was a hit.  It was a shame that Tony and you had to leave before the night was through.  Tony wasn’t upset.  In fact, you were hard pressed to remember a time when he was this excited.  So excited, you considered slipping him a sedative on the plane ride.  

 

Tony didn’t let up until you were pulling into the driveway of your parent’s house.  

 

“I can’t believe you are staying at the hotel instead of in your old bedroom.  Maybe if I ask nicely, your mom will let me stay in your room.”  Tony is practically vibrating with excitement.  

 

“Absolutely not,” you snap.  

 

“Ugh, fine.” Tony pauses.  “You know, I never did ask the deal with this Sam guy.  Besides the breakup.”

 

You put the car into park and lean your head on the steering wheel.  “Really, Tony?”

 

“I probably should have waited to ask that.”  He at least had the self-awareness to look sheepish.  

 

“No, it’s fine.  We met in high school.  I followed him to college.  He joined the Air Force.”  You took a deep breath. “When he came back from basic training, he told me he couldn’t have someone waiting for him at home.  He wouldn’t be able to do his job.  He couldn’t put his life on the line if someone needed him.  That was nearly three years ago.” 

 

“Oh, wow.  And now he’s here with someone.” 

 

If looks could kill, Tony would have melted into a small puddle of nothing as you slowly turned your head to glare at him.  

 

“Really?” you ask him, incredulously.  

 

“Right, so I should bring the good alcohol in now.”  

 

It was a flurry of action and hugs and greetings as the two of you entered the house.  Tony was, well, Tony.  He had quickly integrated himself into your family’s inner circle.  It helped that his gift to the rehearsal dinner was a case of very expensive wine.  With another case for the wedding tomorrow.  Your mom was barely on her second glass before she started spilling childhood stories about you.  

 

You escaped the embarrassing stories and were staring at family pictures in the living room.  After a particularly loud round of laughter, you prepared to stomp back into the other room to put a stop to the stories.  Only when you turned, you found yourself face to face with Sam and his date.  

 

“Sam! Hi.” You leaned in for an awkward hug.  

 

“It’s so good to see you.” He made it sound real at least.  “Oh, and this is Riley, my wife.”  

 

You were thankful that Sam turned to look at her so you could take a moment to school your face back to neutral.  

 

“Wow.  It’s nice to meet you, Riley.  How long have you been married?”  you ask.

 

She smiles at Sam. “About two years now.”  

 

And with that, it feels like the air has been punched out of your chest.  Your shock is so great, you don’t realize that someone is standing next to you and has their arm around your waist.   When you finally notice the contact, you turn your head in surprise and are met with a kiss from Tony.  

 

He smiles at you before speaking.  “Hi sweetheart.  Did I get some good stories from your mom?”  Tony sticks out his hand to shake Sam’s.  “Hey there, Tony Stark.  Are you family? Friends?”

 

“Uh, friends.  Name’s Sam.  This is Riley.”  Sam looked at you suspiciously.  “Your sister didn’t say you were dating anyone.”  

 

“Who’s dating?”  You see your sister enter the room. “Oh my God.  You’re dating Tony.  You didn’t say anything.”  

 

It takes a few more seconds of stunned silence before your brain catches up to the situation that you are now floundering in.  

 

You steel yourself with a fake smile and turn to your sister.  “It’s still pretty new.  And he wasn’t supposed to say anything because we didn’t want to distract from your day.  Sorry.”

 

“Nonsense!  I love it!”  Your sister is obviously a few glasses in.  

 

“What do you love?”  You groan as your mom comes into the room.  

 

“Y/N and Tony are dating!  Isn’t that the best?”  your sister yells out.

 

“You didn’t tell me that,” your mother admonishes.  “You are totally welcome to stay here with Y/N.  We upgraded her old bed to a queen.  Plenty of room.”    

 

“Mom,” you start, “I wasn’t even planning on staying here.”  

 

She glares at you. “That is ridiculous.  Go get your bags.  I haven’t had both of my girls under this roof in a long time.  You aren’t taking that from me.”  

 

Ah, parental guilt.  You know you wouldn’t be able to say no.  So you sighed and grabbed Tony’s hand and dragged him out of the house.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Come on Reader, get it together

You made sure you were out of earshot of the house before rounding on Tony.  “What the fuck was that?”  

 

“I heard what they said.  About being married for two years.”  Tony moved closer.  “It looked like he had set a bunch of puppies on fire in front of you.  I’m sorry I made this even more difficult.  I didn’t think.”  

 

Your anger at Tony deflated.  “No, you’re right.  I think the puppies would have been preferable.”  You sigh and run a hand through your hair.  “It was bad enough thinking I wasn’t worth coming home to.  But to have it confirmed.  I’m over him, but damn that still hurts.”  

 

Tony gathered you up for a hug. “Let’s get him back by having a great time and being the most obnoxious couple he’s ever met.  Ok?”

 

“My mom had better have gotten a good mattress.  I was going to get to sleep at a Westin.  I love their beds.  And room service.”  

 

“I’ll bring you coffee in the morning.”  Tony grabbed both suit cases and headed towards the front door.  But a sudden realization stopped you in your tracks.  

 

“We’re going to have to share a bed!”  

 

\--

 

The full enormity of that problem didn’t hit you until you were standing in your bathroom, dressed and ready for bed.  

 

You stuck your head out the door and Tony looked up from his spot on the bed where he was looking over reports.  “Can you turn out the light?”  you asked, shyly.  

 

“Why?  You sleep naked?”  he asked with a smile.  

 

“No,” you insisted, “but it isn’t much more.  I’ll run to the store tomorrow and pick up actual sleep pants.”  

 

Tony raised an eyebrow, and you could tell he wanted to say something, but thought better of it.  He closed the folders on his lap and set them on the side table as he got up and turned out the light.  When you heard him settle into bed, you slid out of the bathroom and under the blankets as fast as you could.  The air was tense as the two of you shuffled to get comfortable.  

 

Suddenly, Tony rolled onto his side to face you.  “My curiosity is killing me.  What are you wearing?”  

 

You sighed.  “I don’t like to sleep in pants, so it’s just my underwear under this shirt.”  You bit your lip anxiously, not sure what Tony was going to say next.  

 

“That is way less interesting than what I was imagining.”  He laughed and rolled over to his back.  

 

This time, your curiosity got the best of you.  “What were you imagining?”  

 

“Nope.  Not making this any more awkward than it already is.”  

 

You huff out a noise of annoyance and roll back over to your side.  Thankfully, with all the travel and worries of the day, once you settle down, sleep comes easily.  

 

\--

 

You’d forgotten that the first morning light comes right in through your window.  It was a rude awakening.  Although, not as rude as the realization that in the night, Tony and you had migrated to the center of the bed and were currently wrapped around each other.  

 

You try, unsuccessfully, to untangle yourself without waking Tony.  As you try to pull away, he pulls you back in a nuzzles his face into your hair.  

 

“Tony.” You try to nudge him awake. “Tony.”  This with a bit of a forceful shove get more of a response from him.  “Tony, I don’t have pants on and certain parts of your anatomy are more awake than the rest of you are.”  

 

It takes a few seconds, but as soon as the words sink in, Tony all but flings himself to the other side of the bed.  

 

“Shit, sorry.”

 

“It’s ok.  I seemed to be a willing participant in last nights cuddling.”  You stretch and flop back down on your pillow

 

You can hear Tony climbing out of bed.  “Where are you going?”  

 

He turns around with a smile.  “I promised you coffee in bed.  I need to deliver on that.”  

 

You smile at his thoughtfulness.  “Oh, I take it with--”

 

“Two sugars.  I know.”  He interrupts before sliding out of the room.  

 

The rest of the day is a blur of preparations.  Tony somehow managed to stay in the middle of it.  Your mom loved him.  Hell, even your dad liked him.  

 

Most of your day was spent with your sister; getting her ready and keeping her as calm as you can keep someone on their wedding day.  But every time you popped out of the dressing room, Tony was there.  Usually he was being put to work hanging decorations or moving furniture.  Sometimes, he was there with a bottle of water for you and asking what you needed.  

 

“You know, you don’t have to help.  No matter what my mom tries to guilt you into.”  The two of you have hidden with your drinks where no one can find you.  At least for a temporary break.  

 

“Eh, it’s been fun.  Remember, I don’t have any siblings, so this might be the only chance I get to do this.”  

 

“At your own wedding?”  

 

“I doubt it.  I imagine it will be some perfectly orchestrated piece of socialite stage work.  Not that I don’t enjoy those weddings, but I wouldn’t have to do much but show up and put on the tux.”  

 

“Is that what you want?” you ask him doubtfully.  

 

“I’m a rich guy living in New York.  Those are the odds.”  He stared at the floor.  “Even if I did find the perfect girl, most people don’t put up with me for very long.”  

 

You nudged him with your shoulder.  “Well, I’ve managed to put up with you.”  

 

When Tony looked at you again, you were struck by the look in his eyes and his soft smile.  “You have.”  

 

You were pulled from the moment when one of the bridesmaids called your name.  You looked back at Tony with an apologetic smile.  “Duty calls.  I’ll see you when I walk down the aisle.  My mom will probably make you sit with her.”  

 

“I think I’ve been made an usher.”  

 

“Seriously?”  you sigh.  “Thank you.”  

 

\--

 

The wedding was beautiful.  You would have cried, but Tony spent the entire time trying to make you laugh.  It took you awhile to get out of the receiving line, but you finally caught up to him at the reception.  

 

“Have you kept yourself occupied?”  you asked before unceremoniously dumping yourself in the chair next to Tony.  

 

“I have.  You look.  Well, is there a nice way to say you look a bit worn out?.”  

 

You laugh.  “No, not really.”

 

“Then how about I bring you some food?”  

 

You smiled and accepted the plate of food when he brought it.  It didn’t take you long to inhale the food.  “Man, I really needed that.  I don’t know why I was so hungry.”

 

“It’s not like you ate.”  

 

“What?  No, I totally-” you paused “-I totally fed my sister.  I completely forgot to eat.”  

 

“Told you so,” Tony smirked at you.  

 

You nudge him playfully.  Suddenly, you hear the music and grab his hand.  “Oh, I love this song.  Want to dance?”  

 

He quickly agreed and pulled you to your feet.  What followed was several of the most enjoyable hours you’ve ever spent.  You danced.  He charmed your family.  Tony kept you laughing and smiling.  It felt strangely perfect.  You barely had time to catch your breath all evening.  

 

You took advantage of a break in the music to step outside to get some fresh air.  Your sister had chosen one of your favorite locations for the wedding.  When you were kids, it was an old farm not too far from your house.  The old woman who lived there used to let you and your sister swim in the small lake.  When she died, a family came in and converted the old barns into event spaces.  You dragged Tony to the dock that you used to jump into the lake from.  You and your sister would compete to see who could jump the farthest from the end.  

 

Tony must have been able to see the nostalgia on your face as you walked along the dock.  “This place means a lot to you?” he asked.  

 

You turned with a smile.  “My sister and I spent a lot of time here.  A lot of fun memories.”

 

“Hopefully we’ve added a few tonight.”  

 

You both stop when you reach the end of the pier and you turn to face Tony.  He was staring at you with a look you didn’t recognize, but had glimpsed throughout the day.  

 

He took another step closer.  “I hope I’m not overstepping any boundaries.  This whole trip, I’ve felt something.  I finally realized that something was drawing me closer to you.  Please tell me I’m not the only one.”

 

You shake your head no.  The voice in your head echoing the words Tony was saying.  

 

“I’ve always considered you a good friend,” Tony continued. “I think I’ve finally realized why I never found that spark with anyone else.  I was too dumb to look right in front of me.”  

 

He moved slowly, giving you a chance to change your mind.  But you didn’t, you couldn’t.  You leaned in when his lips met yours.  

 

The moment was completely spoiled by screams and yells of other party goers as they barreled down the dock.  The two of you jumped out of the way as several people jumped into the lake.  

 

A few gawkers gathered on the dock to watch the people swimming.  Your sister was laughing while Scott tried desperately to talk her out of jumping in too.  Sam ended up standing next to you in the crowd.  

 

After Tony had stepped in to help pull some people up on the dock, Sam turned to you and smiled.  “I’m glad you found someone.  He seems nice.  It’s nice to have someone who can help you out like that.  

 

“Hmmm,” you murmur.  Not quite listening, but watching Tony try not to get dragged into the water by the drunk people he’s trying to help.  

 

“I was pretty awful to you.  I left when you probably needed help the most.  I am glad to see you found someone who could give you a hand up when you needed it.”  

 

While your mind tried to process the semi-apology he was giving you, it struck on something.  You and Tony and what that would look like.  It wouldn’t matter that you had worked there for years.  That you spent endless nights working until security kicked you out of the building.  

 

No, the outside world would see someone with a big promotion dating someone who could have had a hand in making that promotion happen.  You sighed and tried to give a smile to Sam before you walked back inside.  

 

The small voice of reason tried to get you to stop.  To sit and wait for Tony to talk things out.  But you panicked.  You panicked and headed straight for the bar.  By the time Tony found you, you were several shots in.  

 

After much reluctance on your part and a very tearful goodbye to your sister, Tony finally managed to bundle you into the car as the party broke up.  He was silent on the drive back to the house.  You wanted to talk, but the alcohol made it hard to figure out what to say, so you settled on silence as well.  After a short time, you fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There you go

You awoke the next morning with a raging hangover.  You were in your underwear.  But alone in your bedroom.  You put on clothes and stumbled down to the living room.  No one was in there, but the couch looked slept on.  You found Tony in the kitchen with your parents drinking coffee.  Your parents smiled at you.  Tony smiled, but it was sad.  

 

You had faced down your panic, and realized you needed to talk to him.  Explain why anything between you would be a bad idea.  Unfortunately, you didn’t get that chance.  After a cup of coffee, you were ordered to get dressed.  The two of you were whisked off to a family brunch and returned home just in time to head to the airport.  

 

When you were finally up in the air and you couldn’t stand the silence any longer, you started to talk.  “Tony, I’m sorry I freaked out.”

 

Of course, Tony had the same idea.  “I’m sorry if I freaked you out.”

 

Both of you laughed.  Tony gestured to you to go first.  

 

“I’m sorry, Tony.  I don’t think I can do this.  I want to.  But Sam said something-”

 

“What?  What did he say?”  

 

“Nothing, really.  He just made me realize that everyone would think I got my job by sleeping my way to the top.” 

 

“But that’s not true,” he insisted.

 

“I know, but they would think that.  It would be devastating to the company.  I would have to work 100 times harder to be respected.”  You paused.  “I’m so sorry.”  

 

“No,” he sighed, “you’re right.  Unfortunately you are very right.  It’s ok.”  

 

The rest of the flight back was quiet and awkward.  You wanted to say more.  You wanted to take it all back.  But you were scared.  You just hoped that when you got back to your regular lives, all of this would fade away.  

 

Of course it didn’t.  For a while, the two of you avoided each other.  That was fairly simple.  Tony threw himself into the lab, promising the next great thing.  You also threw yourself into work.  With such a strong launch, you were working overtime to make sure you had enough product to sell.  

 

Then the two of you had to interact.  It was all sad smiles and awkward apologies.  You hadn’t realized how close the two of you really were until you weren’t anymore.  Little touches that used to be familiar were now apologized away.  

 

It made you sad.  A  fact that did not go unnoticed by your assistant.  

 

You were surprised one day as she stuck her head in just before she was leaving for the day.  

 

“Coulson needs to meet with you in conference room one.  He says it’s urgent,” Natasha said.  

 

“Oh, ok.”  You stood up quickly and nearly ran into Natasha at the door.  You hadn’t seen her there, it was almost as if she stepped into your way slightly as you left the office.  

 

As you stepped into the conference room, your forehead furrowed in confusion.  It was empty.  As you heard the door open and shut behind you, you thought that he must have stepped out momentarily.  But when you turned, you noticed it was Tony.  

 

“Natasha didn’t say you were going to be at this meeting.”

 

“Is that a problem,” Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.  

 

“No, she’s just,” you trailed off.  Recently, she had been warning you if Tony was going to be somewhere you had to be.  

 

“Do you know why Coulson asked us here?” Tony asked.  

 

Before you could answer, the intercom system on the table squawked to life. “You two are stuck in there until you figure out whatever you need to figure out.  We’re exhausted and your productivity is shit.”  

 

“What?!” you exclaimed.  You walked to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.  You went to grab your pass, but realized it was missing.  Suddenly the bump into Natasha made sense.  She had lifted your pass.  You turned to Tony.  “Do you have your pass?”

 

“Uh, no.  Clint said we were getting new ones.  Oh!”  

 

The two of you stared each other down.  Not sure where to start or wanting to be the first person to break.  

 

“She’s right you know?  We do need to figure this out,” Tony murmured

 

You sigh.  “I know she’s right.  It doesn’t mean I appreciate being locked in a room.”  

 

And now, instead of the silence being tense and awkward, you could tell that the both of you were thinking.  Tony was still concentrating when you struck.  

 

“Fuck it,” you muttered before throwing yourself in Tony’s arms and kissing him with abandon.  

 

When you finally broke apart, he looked bewildered.  “But, I thought.”

 

“People are always going to be assholes to me.  This won’t change that.  Two days ago I had a vendor tell me to my face that Steve wouldn’t have made the same decision I did.”  

 

“Can we fire them?”

 

“No, they are the only ones that make that wire you like.” You smile.  “But what I did do was call up Steve in front of the vendor and ask him the same question.  He said the same thing I did.  If people are still going to be horrible to me, I’d at least like to get you out of the deal.”  

 

Tony smiles.  “That seems reasonable.  I suppose we should make sure there’s no company policy against employees dating.”

 

“I hope there isn’t, for Clint and Natasha’s sake.”

 

Again the intercom turned on.  “How did you know?” Clint asked incredulously.

 

“Damn it, Clint.” Natasha sighed.

“Oh. Nevermind.  Nothing to see here.  We’ll leave you two love birds alone.”  

 

You both smiled and kissed again before coming to the realization that you were still locked in.  

 

“Wait, can someone let us out?  Hello?”


End file.
